Hemp Plastic Might Be Material of the Future

For as long as we can remember, plastic has been used for just about everything and anything we can get our hands on. It’s all over our houses, in our cars, even in life-saving medical devices and implants. The thing is, plastic isn’t all that safe for the environment. Industrial hemp plastic, which is a bioplastic, is completely biodegradable, which helps the Earth, and a world less harmful if ingested. By this logic, industrial hemp plastic would be the perfect material.

It very well could be.

Henry Ford used industrial hemp plastic to build car doors and fenders in 1941, also showing how strong the material was by smashing a sledge hammer against the panels. He said that they were stronger than steel-bodied cars, and could be useful in saving lives, in the event of an accident. The hemp fibers make the industrial hemp plastic 2.5 times stronger than standard steel.

A recent breakthrough with biodegradable plastics made from cornstarch has led to a new material made from industrial hemp. This means we can produce a material, stronger than plastic, and 100% biodegradable. It’s also a bit easier to mold into tiny shapes and sizes, which makes industrial hemp plastic the way to go for versatility. The possibilities are endless! On top of that, these hemp composites are cheaper than your standard, run-of-the-mill, plastic of today. It might make you wonder why industrial hemp plastic isn’t being used more.

Well, current hemp news and events has been shedding some light on this inquiry, and has uncovered some interesting act that you may or may not have known about industrial hemp plastic. Hemp is already starting to be integrated into the objects of our everyday life. GM, Ford, Saturn, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes have already started making door panels and dashboards from industrial hemp plastic. It’s not only proven to be safer for us and our loved-ones, but safer for the planet as well. Imagine if all plastic was replaced with hemp bioplastic? We would be looking at a nearly biodegradable civilization. It’s also a cheaper material, saving the companies who make the products a ton money, and in turn, saving the customer money. It seems like a comfortable win/win all around, and with more and more states passing laws to legally start growing industrial hemp, it seems the world is one step closer to a cleaner tomorrow.